A HALF-day conference to establish the Four Rivers Dementia Action Alliance will be held at the Watermark next Friday.

The conference will bring together 18 rural parishes around the rivers Avon, Yealm, Erme and Plym to create the alliance of ‘dementia friendly’ communities and will be held next Friday, March 18, starting a 9am and finishing at 1pm.

The purpose of this Dementia Action Alliance, along with many other alliances nationally, is to improve the lives of people with dementia and their families, where they live, and to support communities becoming dementia friendly.

Members of alliances include neighbouring town and parish councils, health services businesses, faith groups, schools and organisations, individuals and people with dementia and their families.

The conference is funded by South Hams TAP fund and organised by South Brent Caring. Sue Burgess, coordinator for South Brent Caring, said ‘This is an amazing opportunity for Ivybridge and the surrounding parishes to start to take action together promoting dementia friendly communities enhancing the lives of people with dementia and their carers in this rural area … and the emphasis is on the word “action”.

‘Everyone can help to ensure people with dementia and their carers can continue to enjoy a fulfilling life in their own hamlet, village and town’.

The keynote speaker is Ian Sherriff, Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia at Plymouth University, Alzheimer’s Society Trustee and chair of the Prime Minister’s Task and Finish Group for Rural Dementia who will talk about ‘Dementia Friendly Communities - Issues and Solutions’.

If you would like to book a place please contact Maxine on 07450 206312.